EARTHLY PARADISE

A lot people speak glowingly of this German release. To be sure, the keyboards are lush and worth the price of admission, but to me, they are pretty much all this album has to recommend it. The songs don't leave much of an impression, and the English lyrics are nothing to write home about. I increasingly believe that Europeans who are not 100% fluent should stick to their own languages. I ain't prejudiced, and it definitely cuts down on the kitsch factor. The major drawback is the female lead vocals, which are subpar. She is obviously game and has a pleasant quality to her voice, but she is pitchy as all get out and seems to be straining beyond her range. This album usually becomes background music, no matter how hard I try to pay attention. If you are a mellotron freak, as I am, you'll get a lot out of this record, but don't scratch much deeper.